Row erupts in S.A. over army plans to meddle in politics

Press, 25 March 1980, Page 9

Row erupts in S.A. over army plans to meddle in politics

NZPA-Reuter Johannesburg A serious row has erupted in South Africa over publication of a secret document suggesting that the army has plans to intervene in South African politics to bolster the Government. The Prime Minister (Mr Pieter Botha), whose Gov- ’ ernment was shaken by South Africa’s “slush funds" scandal only a few months ago, has ordered his generals to give him a copy of the document, amid signs that it could face his Administration with a potentially explosive crisis. The Johannesburg “Sunday Times,” which published extracts of the document, said military departments were to carry out a mission “to nullify the Opposition’s attack on the Prime Minister during the Budget debate.” Defence is expected to play a key part in next Wednesday’s annual Budget. Full details of the document were not available, but there was an immediate uproar in Opposition parliamentary ranks. The Opposition leader, Frederik van zyl Slabbert, said: “If the Defence Force becomes embroiled in party politics it makes a mockery of democracy.” A spokesman for the South African Defence Force said the Prime Minister, who is also Defence Minister, knew nothing about the ; document. Defence Force officers would brief Mr [ Botha early this week, the 1 spokesman said. The document, dated February 12, was headed, “Psy-[ chological action plan: defence budget debate,” the “Sunday Times” said. The document listed specific tasks which included steps j to manipulate the news media, to blunt the Opposi-| tion’s attacks in Parliament, and to mute criticism of the Government. The "Sunday Times” quoted the document as saying in part: “There are a’ number of contentious subjects which will probably arise during the defence de- 1

bate. It is undesirable that they may. be exploited by the Opposition to the detriment of the Government . . . “As the Opposition tactics develop in the ensuing weeks other likely vulnerable lities may be disclosed.” The document said these vulnerabilities should be brought to the attention of the proper military authorities and concluded: “All actions must be well considered and carried out with circumspection. It must be avoided at all costs that a situation is worsened by lack of judgment. Any artificiality or any. appearance of forcing an issue will be counter-productive.”

The document was reported to have been signed on behalf of Defence Force [Chief, General Magnus 'Malan, by Major-General [Phil Pretorius, the director-! (general of the army’s “civic' (action” department. i I The “Sunday Times’! said} (in later editions that while: (early copies of the paper (were reaching street’sellers top army officials held a hasty meeting, hoping to(stop the presses. But it was apparently too late for them to seek a court order. One Defence Force source told NZPA-Reuter that there was nothing sinister in the document, which the “Sunday Times” obtained in its (official English version. “The trouble is that the wording in the original is very badly chosen and has

been made even worse in translation from Afrikaans into English,” the sources said. Mr Botha's Government has barely recovered from last year’s “slush funds” scandal in which huge sums of public money were illegally used by the Information Department in an international propaganda exercise.

Mr Botha is also trying to contain rebellion among farRightists in the ruling National Party who are opposed to his plans for relaxing some aspects of this white-ruled country’s apartheid policies. The annual Budget will be presented to Parliament on Wednesday. A big increase in defence spending above the present 2000 million rand (SNZ23OO million) a year is predicted in the press. The expected increase appeared to be linked to South Africa’s growing isolation in the face of an international arms boycott. In addition, the recent election victory of Robert Mugabe, guerrilla leader and now Prime Minister in neighbouring Rhodesia, has been seen in the Afrikaans press as a serious strategic defeat. “Black Africa has now advanced to the Limpopo (River) border” one Afrikaans daily said in an editorial.

Thousands of South .African troops are involved (in a bush war against (nationalist guerrillas in the (disputed territory of NaImibia (South-West Africa). Other units are patrolling South Africa’s border areas where guerrillas are increasingly active. However, Mr Botha’s National Party has a huge parliamentary majority and political commentators said the Afrikaans-backed Government appeared strong enough to sweep aside any protests from the mainly English-speaking Opposition about defence expenditure — with or without the generals gettting involved.